Chapter 90: Managing Winery!
Jane paused, her eyes lighting up with realization. The last time Logan hosted a gathering, he had introduced her to the entire Silver Mane family. The aunts had all extended invitations to visit their homes. She had been fretting over finding suitable gifts, and as a result, had delayed her visits. Now, she held the perfect offering in her hands.
As Logan suggested sharing the perfume, Jane realized it would indeed make a cherished gift for the women in their tribe.
"Coven, let's..." Jane started, her thoughts turning towards asking Logan to accompany her on the visits, but when she looked up, she found he had already slipped away.
"Sister Jane, my brother's stepped out!" Ginny informed her in a sing-song voice, noticing her puzzled look.
Jane sighed, half in frustration, half in resignation. "It's fine, let's not bother about him." While she felt a flare of irritation, she quickly reminded herself that as the Chief, Logan often had to attend to numerous responsibilities; he must be dealing with something urgent again.
"Ginny, how about we go visit your Second Mother? Would you like that?" Jane proposed, her tone brightening.
Ginny's face lit up with excitement. "Yes, yes, let's go!"
Meanwhile, Logan had already made his way to a familiar location, right next to his house, at the doorstep of his Uncle Begons residence, which was adjacent to the tribal government office.
Logan was no stranger here; though he often personally dealt with Uncle Begon's reports, the governance of the Silver Mane Tribe was a robust affair. Uncle Lot oversaw a vast network including the forge, workshops for production and food processing, the pharmacy, the agricultural and livestock divisions, the warehouse, and military logistics.
Beyond these visible operations, there were also the crucial but less noticeable departments like information archiving, tribal statistics, and internal oversight.
As Logan approached, two werewolf guards stationed at the entrance snapped to attention. "Hello, Chief!" they greeted, offering a salute filled with reverence.
Logan acknowledged them with a nod and proceeded inside the office.
"Chief, what brings you here?" a familiar voice called out as he entered.
Looking up, Logan spotted his Fifth Uncle Reynolds. With a warm smile, he responded, "Fifth Uncle, is Second Uncle around?"
"He's here," Reynolds replied cheerfully, "My brother is currently organizing the latest victim files."
"I need to speak with him. Could you take me to him?" Logan requested.
"Absolutely, follow me!" Reynolds agreed, leading the way with a smile.
"Chief, what brings you to this part of the hall?" Begon's voice was tinged with surprise as he spotted his younger brother Reynolds and their associate Logan entering his spacious office, which, despite its size, often housed only him, much like a president's solitary workspace. He rose swiftly from his chair in greeting.
"Swamped with work, I presume?" Logan inquired with a casual air as he found himself a seat.
The room, grand in scale, echoed emptily around Uncle Begon, who nodded in acknowledgment. "Indeed, we're seeing a surge, hundreds joining the tribe daily. It's all about registrations and policy-making now!"
Logan smiled appreciatively, "Your efforts haven't gone unnoticed, Uncle. Thank you for all that you do."
"You all take a seat, please," Begon gestured, returning to his desk without further comment on the hardships. His mind was abuzz, not just with worries but with a palpable excitement for the tribe's growth beyond 10,000 souls.
Reynolds settled into another chair, Logon nodded towards him in acknowledgment,turning the conversation towards their purpose. "Uncle, the tribe's numbers have swelled beyond what we ever anticipated. With more than 10,000 now, we're struggling to find roles for many of our laborers. That's why I'm here, to propose opening a brewery right here within the tribe. It's time we started brewing our own."
Logan nodded, looking earnestly at Begon. "We can't afford to let any potential go to waste. By employing them in the brewery, they can generate value for the tribe."
Begon listened intently, his thoughts already racing ahead. The brewing and sugar production in nearby Canyon City were barely keeping up with the tribe's rapid expansion. The famine offered a grim opportunity to absorb more refugees, bolster the tribe's numbers, and strengthen their forces. Money, however, was the linchpin to all these plans.
Logan continued, his mind clearly on the bigger picture, "With the surplus labor, we could also consider expanding into perfume production. Diversifying our production could significantly increase our revenue, providing the funds needed for the tribe's growth and for supporting more disaster victims until the famine eases."
Begon weighed their words, aware of the complexities ahead. The thought of recruiting strong men and possibly even establishing a 'professional temple' to train them loomed large in his mind. Such a temple would be powerful, a virtual 'cheat code,' but the risks were immense, especially since he was only at the seventh level of power.
"Recruiting strong men, whether from Canyon as or elsewhere, and funding our expansion through the brewery, sugar, and perfume industries... It sounds like a solid plan. We need to ensure our coin purses are as robust as our ambitions."
The trio sat, surrounded by the echoes of their grand chamber, imagineing the future of the Silver Mane Tribe, a future filled with growth, challenges, and the promise of recovery.
In the grand scheme of things, the ongoing wars between the major tribes in the northeast of the southern wasteland highlighted an undeniable truth: famine, while a scourge, presented a unique opportunity for those positioned to capitalize on it. Once the famine abated, the tribal landscapes of both the southern and northern wastelands might be drastically altered.
"The Silver Mane Tribe must seize this crucial period of growth!" Logan declared, his eyes alight with strategic fervor.
"What?" Begon exclaimed, caught off guard.
"You're planning to start a winery within the tribe?" he asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Exactly," Logan nodded, his voice filled with determination. "With the surplus of laborers we now have, just imagine; if we could produce an additional 100,000 kilograms of liquor each month, our tribe's income could increase by 5,000 gold coins."
Begon's surprise deepened. "Five thousand gold coins each month? From liquor alone?" The notion seemed almost too good to be true, yet he trusted his nephew's judgment implicitly.
Reynolds, standing by, shared in the astonishment but was equally impressed.
"Just say the word, and it's done," Begon responded, taking a moment to comprehend the full impact of the venture. With an additional 5,000 gold coins monthly, combined with the profits from Canyon City, their revenue could approach a staggering 10,000 gold coins per month.
"With that kind of income, we could expand the Silver Mane Tribe's operations exponentially!" Begon exclaimed, his excitement mounting.
"And there's more," Logan continued, "besides the brewery, we'll also construct a sugar-making workshop right here within the tribe."
Begon's enthusiasm soared. "Tell me everything I need to do," he urged, ready to take notes.
Logan laid out the plan with precision. "First, we need a sufficiently large space for the winery. Second, select the initial group of workers, 200 strong, loyal tribesmen who've been with us for some time. And third, we need about 50 individuals with exceptionally keen senses of smell, regardless of their background."
Begon nodded, understanding the first two points but puzzled by the third. However, he trusted Logan's foresight and prepared to execute the orders without question.
"Those are your three key tasks. Get them started immediately, and I'll begin the preparations tomorrow," Logan concluded, his tone resolute.
"Understood!" Begon affirmed, his mind already racing through logistics.
Turning to Reynolds, Logan smiled slightly, "And what about you, Uncle? Would you be interested in managing the new winery?"
Reflecting on Reynolds's transformation over the past few months, from a figure of controversy to a respected member of their leadership, Logan couldn't help but feel a sense of familial pride. It was a testament to the tribe's ethos: acknowledging past mistakes and moving forward with renewed purpose.
Moreover, Reynolds was not just any family member; he was one of Logan's two uncles left in this world, a truly valuable relative in their closely-knit family structure.
"Manage the winery?" Reynolds echoed, his expression a mix of surprise and burgeoning excitement. It seemed this was the first significant responsibility Logan had entrusted to him since assuming leadership.
He had almost resigned himself to being sidelined indefinitely! "Yes, I will!" Reynolds responded, his voice brimming with eagerness as he rose to his feet.
Begon, observing the exchange, couldn't help but smile. While Reynolds had previously been a source of frustration for him, this renewed version of his brother was exactly the man he had hoped to see. It was heartening to see Logan extend this gesture of reconciliation and trust.
"Excellent," Logan affirmed with a nod.
After wrapping up the discussion, Logan turned his attention to other tribal matters before exiting the governmental hall.
He was far from done for the day. His next stops were the manufacturing workshop and the forge. At the manufacturing workshop, he ordered the creation of distillation equipment and tools, and at the forge, he requested several large iron pots for the brewing process.